Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Kwame Baa Mensa, the Bono Regional Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA) at the weekend called for huge investments into lesser-known sports for job creation and for the nation to derive the optimum benefits.
He said games like table tennis had huge economic prospects and could create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth, however, added lack of modern facilities was impeding the growth and development of the sport.
Mr Mensa made the call in an interview on the sidelines of a day’s table tennis competition, underway at the premises of the Sunyani Senior High School.
The regional office of the NSA in collaboration with the Bono Regional branch of the Ghana Table Tennis Association and the Anthony Kwaku Asante Foundation is organizing the competition in honour of the late Coach Anthony Kwaku Asante.
It features 50 young talented table tennis players drawn from Bono, Bono East, Ahafo Eastern and Ashanti regions, competing for prizes including trophies, medals and undisclosed cash prizes ranging between GHC1,000 and GHC2,000 and other souvenirs.
The late Coach Asante, a former regional table tennis coach of the then Brong-Ahafo Region died on October 26, 2025 after a short illness.
He was 78 years old and the bereaved has set Friday December 5, 2025 for his final funeral rites to be held at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region.
Mr Mensa explained that the NSA had prioritized the development of lesser-known sports, saying the authority was presenting inaugurating the various Sports Committees in the 12 politically administrative Municipalities and Districts in the region to coordinate sports development.
He said the committee would also help the NSA not only to scout for talented young people good at lesser-known sports, but also build on those talents to be featured in the national teams.
Mr Mensa said the Bono region had numerous sporting potential and therefore required a standard sports stadium, improved sporting facilities to absorb and build on the talents of the young people.
In another interview, Mr Manfred Nyarko, the Bono Regional Chairman of the Ghana Table Tennis Association appealed to the government to invest more into the game, besides physical exercise, table tennis could create numerous opportunities for more of the nation’s talented young people.
“Through table tennis many of these young talented boys and girls can have the opportunity to study abroad and to build on their talents as well”, he stated.
Mr Fredrick Asante, the Executive Director of the Anthony Kwaku Asante Foundation also told that the late Coach Asante was passionate for table tennis development, saying “We can’t allow the legacy he has left for the game to be in ruins”.
He said the foundation remained dedicated to scout for and help unearth and build on the table tennis talents of the younger generation, nationwide and appealed for support and partnership.
“We want to make the late Coach Asante table tennis competition a national event and we require the support of the government and corporate bodies,” Mr Asante stated.
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